Stupid In America

[Wayniac]

bullshit. i have been teaching 9 years and make 33,000 before taxes and insurance.

it's not about the money. it is about the working conditions. so many people think teachers only complain about the money. NOT AT ALL!!!!

let me tell you some stories about my last year teaching. first i will mention that i teach middle school, grades 6,7,8. my school has been awarded six consecutive "A"'s from the state of FL. we are one of the best academic schools in pinellas county.

last year, a kid pulled a knife on his science teacher. she took off her belt and hit him in the face with the buckle when he came at her. she got fired and his parents sued her. he got a one day suspension.

a group of boys gang raped a girl in one of the courtyard bathrooms. since there were no witnesses and it was her word against theirs, it went unpunished by the schoo system. it became a criminal matter, which was dismissed for lack of evidence.

a plant operator was hit so hard in the back of the head with a text book that his skull fractured. when he threatened to "beat the fuck" out of the kid that hit him, he was fired. the kid got a one day suspension.

i have been spit on, right in the face, by kids that don't want to do my assignment. PARENTS have spit on teachers for telling them that their child was a disturbance in class. nice, huh?

the problem is that the students have more rights than the adults. i have 3 ways i can discipline my class unless i want to be brought up on ethics charges. 1) call home. 2) assign a detention. 3) write a discipline referral.

parent phone calls can be effective, but more often than not, this is the response you will get: "don't call me at work. that kid is your problem during these hours. you deal with it." supportive, huh?

keep in mind that you don't really have to call the parents of the student that shows up and does thier work. usually you call for the turd that is preventing the good kids from being able to concentrate.

okay, detention. i assign one.....the kid won't show. okay call home. parents say, "he/she ain't coming. your reason for giving the detnetion was stupid." not always.....but more often than not.

let's talk about the big one...the referral!! kid gets sent to the AP. regardless of the incident (assualt, skipping, defiance, etc.) the first step the they MUST follow is a verbal reprimand and a phone call home. so let's say billy stabs me with scissors (which i have had happen to me). he gets sent to the office for his verbal reprimand. i can follow up by pressing charges with the school resource officer, but they often try to discourage it.

try this: go to work and be told that if you "product" (students) doesn't meet "X" requirements then you will be sanctioned (pay cut, suspension, etc.)......but you are powerless to control the outcome of your "product"!!!

public school teachers are required to have a 4 year college degree, pass and maintain state certification (we have to take continuing education classes or attend trainings at our expense so we can stay "current" with educational trends and techniques). we must have a certain number of credits every 5 years or we lose our certificate and can not continue to teach. ALL public school teachers MUST do this or your contract is not renewed.

FYI - that is NOT the case with private school teachers (at least in FL). private schools can hire without college degrees and/or state certifications since they are NOT funded by public dollars. private shools also don't have to meet federal education requirements, like No Child Left Behind, because they are NOT funded by public dollars. that is national. private does not always mean better. check your teachers and school curriculum programs. it is possible that your child's teacher only has a high school diploma!!!

as tax paying citizens, everyone should be SUPER pissed at the state of education. BUT STOP BLAMING THE TEACHERS!!!! education has a 5 year burn out period. most new teachers coming out of college don't last more than 5 years. people that go into education as a second career rarely last 2 years. the BS we have to endure for the expectaions put on us is crippling.

education NEEDS an overhaul, but it has to start with home. parents, family values....THESE are the things that affect education.

i take my job VERY seriously. i am on summer vacation and i spend about 25 hours a week - unpaid, BTW - doing lesson plans for the next school year. when i show up the first day i usually have my forst grading period of lesson plans done.

BTW - all those graded papers, all those lesson plans (which have to align to federal AND state education guidelines EVERYDAY, EVERY LESSON, EVERY QUESTION - and you have to write which standards your lessons align to, in your plan book) are worked on in our personal time, without pay. the 45 minutes we get to prepare BEFORE class each day is spent with parent conferences, meetings, trainings....our 53 minute planning period during the day is spent calling parents, answering questions, mentoring struggling students, going to the RR (which we can't do whenever we NEED to because we can't leave our classes unsupervised)....

so as a teacher some of the attitudes in this thread really crawl under my skin. come spend a week doing my job, and then talk shit. get spit on. have 5 kids out 125 (which is how many i teach EVERYDAY) bring paper to class. spend hundreds of your own dollars to buy paper and folders and books for the kids (and NEVER get reimbursed)...then talk shit about most teachers drive german cars.

+1 ! My girlfriend is a teacher, and some of the s**t I could tell you - you'd freak. And these are 7th graders! Some with kids!!
And she drives a used Altima... and we live in CT
And I do not know HOW many hours at night she is up grading papers.. and she needs to continue schooling (credit units) AT HER OWN COST. And how much of her own $$ she spends on basic supplies (folders, small treats to reward/motivate the kids, etc). The problem isn't the teachers.
The underlying problems are: many parents are "too busy" to be bothered to be parents - doesn't matter white/black/purple. What is a fact is that her kids who are 1) not from the US and 2) not Hispanic are the ones doing the best in the class. Why?? Becausethe parents of these kids think of it as the land of opportunity.. they want and are willing to earn it, like when our relatives came through Ellis Island. Not like today where certain groups of people come in with their hands open waiting for the Welfare, and "equal" opportunity...
And with this "no child left behind " crap...You couldn't pay me enough to be a teacher
All we are doing is holding the gifted kids back, and teaching mediocrity. If we don't get our s**t together as a society as a whole - we are screwed!

[horns666]

Exactly, you know what's funny..I've shared much less blatant views here..just a few years ago. I was constantly attacked whenver I did so ..I actually had to bite my tongue..I'm still biting it to a degree...folks either love or loathe what I have to say, and I don't give a fuck.. I think that was one reason that spawned my own thread "Bill's Home"..one was deleted because of such attacks... thanks to a a banned member named "Black Mariah" (dick)..I'd LOVE to meet him..

The whole era of "black pride, white guilt" of the 90's is over..people are no longer guilty ..because they are fucking broke, and now, they are starting to realize the truth...and feel the pain.

I was right all along..I knew better becuase I was there balls deep in that element..

Look at the shift in the climate our culture already..and what has been said on this thread, it refelects how people feel in this country..getting rid of the middle class..there's some truth to that!

Ebonics was promoted like mad in the 90's, it was on every channel, everywhere...'till Bush got a hold of office and fucked the FCC, He hit Howard Stern..to cut the head off that monster ..it was his game plan, you start at the top and shit rolls down hill...once upon a decade there wasn't a single a rock or metal video to be found and all the surburban kids adopted the ghetto value system as their own..

Sam Kinison addressed that in 1991..in his last comedy special..15 years ago!!!

look at TV now ..like that T Mobile with their "poser alert" commercials..pretty funny!

Rap is still around, BUT now you see kids wearing Slayer, mettallica, COB, Cradle of filth shirts..with dyed black hair and shit..no more FUBU wear..they have ther own identity again..I think that is a good thing..at least I can understand them again, because they no longer speak like ghetto residents..there is still some stragglers that are still stuck on stupid..but it's slowing fading away.

Rap metal already sounds dated and looks more like a joke with each passing day..I can't waite till all those wiggers have grandkids and see those embarrasing pictures , hangin' and posin' with their possie...let the punishmnet fit the crime..see your grandpa was a dumbfuck!

Metal is back..Bush's is always flipping the bird and his daughters throwing the horns or the bird..inviting Ozzy to dinner..telling him .."mom loves your stuff"..then naming his tunes.

War spawned metal during Viet Namm with Black Sabbath..this is the same shit..people are pissed off..when your pissed off you don't want to listen to boy bands, R&B ...you want fucking Metal..the soundtrack that reflects the times!

Well , it's time to kick ass..you really can't kick fucking ass to the sounds of NSYNC or Limp Biscuit and R&B fuck tunes!!:ROTF:

Bill Clinton took the Ebonic Plauge with him..hopefully that ilk wil stay the fuck out..I don't wanna see it on my TV again 24/7 for another decade!

whether you love or hate W..it's true!

Well look at the make up of the democratic/republican parties..

I say this to democrats/republicans..

Think of heaven, there's a republican heaven and a democrat heaven..which side would you rather be on..

would you rather spend eternity rubbing more than elbows with gays, minorities, and special interest groups, protesting for whatever..while listening to Rap music...watching the movie Bullworth.

OR

Hang around with a couple of red necks , watching NASCAR, go hunting, bowling or fishing, racing for pinks..while listening to sweet home Alabama...watching Terminator 2..

BTW..MarkD.. I truly respect you, even tho my job was stressful and dangerous..I don't envy yours..nor would I trade!

[Wayniac]

The damn politicians are a HUGE part of the problem.. they are there to keep themselves in office.. not solve issues. Just address the most vocal crowd (as long as it is some kind of minority)...

[SeventhSon]

The damn politicians are a HUGE part of the problem.. they are there to keep themselves in office.. not solve issues. Just address the most vocal crowd (as long as it is some kind of minority)...

The incumbency rate is now 98%. It's damn near impossible to get elected out of office once you're in. Once you're in, big business funds your war chest to keep you in and do THEIR bidding...not the public's.

[horns666]

The damn politicians are a HUGE part of the problem.. they are there to keep themselves in office.. not solve issues. Just address the most vocal crowd (as long as it is some kind of minority)...

Yes, and it's the inept local political Micro mananging that is mostly the problem..Nagan, Mike R White..Mariam Barry..

They appoint these dicks to appease the cultural make up of the city..Then drive it into the ground!

You think a white dude will ever be Mayor in a city like Cleveland, , Detroit. New Orleans , or Washington..no fuggin' way...unless he's a major ass kisser..like that Warren Beatty character in Bullworth..maybe Bill Clinton..he'd be a perfect inner city Mayor...a shoe in!

[rjohnstone]

Term limits for everyone.
If the Presidency has a limit, Congress should have them as well.
Get rid of the lifers who are killing our society just so they can line their pockets.

[mm2002]

Good thread, and I haven't read an opinion I would disagree with. Funny how it slowly evolved from "education" to "politics". It really brings together the correlation of the two huh.

[horns666]

I hear the expression from the minority leaders..you heard it too..we all heard it!!

it's called.."Leveling the playing field"..

what that really means is..dumbing down America.

That was the part of the ebonic plauge..they were pushing schools to teach that as a actual language..that was their agenda!!

They wanted to teach our kids ..Spanish or Dumbfuck..

[horns666]

Good thread, and I haven't read an opinion I would disagree with. Funny how it slowly evolved from "education" to "politics". It really brings together the correlation of the two huh.

oh, they go together..you can't avoid one without the other..hell everything is politics..

That was the worst part of my Job..it wasn't dealing with this element..I knew how to deal with that..it was the politics that scared us to death..and it still does..

All my buddies on the job are afraid to do their job without getting in trouble..so alot of cops turn a blind eye at times..they ALL do it..I did it many times.

So do Teachers...for fear of lawsuites..it's a shame..

That's a BIG reason why so much sucks ass!

[horns666]

I need to write a fucking book!

[rjohnstone]

Yes you do!
It would be a best seller.

[slayer]

I tell you what Bill, ebonics may have slowed down, but the Teach Our Kids Spanish thing is out of control, as is the whole Spanish everything, it is on evertything You don`t see German, etc on all of our products, you know why, they are not a group the politicians have to worry about getting re-elected. My 6 year old will never learn Spanish and I will make sure he doesn`t. Jack.

[jjw]

fuck that i think you yanks should be taught english before learning a second language Joking aside the english language could trail behind spanish if its allowed too!If i lived in another country i would learn that lingo,others should do the same too

[horns666]

Yes you do!
It would be a best seller.

I would do it in a heartbeat if I had the right connection..anyone know someone..I'll cut you a piece of pie..

Slayer, That's seems to big the BIG issue at this time with the illgal immigrant shit..the left is really milking that mule..

I hear ya man..my kid takes Spanish in school..he got a A..and he can't speak Spanish..:ROTF:

I wished they offered other options for him like Italian..he is Italian..or offer German or some shit..nope just spanish..

when I went to High school we were offered Spanish, Italian (I gotta D), German , Latin and French..WTF happened to that!!??

At least Spanish is a language..one I have no use for..it's better than.."My baby daddys play sista had a warrant and the po po put her thru all kinds of changes":ROTF:

[kmanick]

If my daughter ever turns to me and says" dad your shizizzle blah blah blah" my back hand is going to send her fucking flying against the wall.
Our media is no better than our politicians.
Neither party wants to "offend" and lose the latin vote.
fuck that, bunch of manipulative spineless leeches, looking out for thier own interests not the good of the American people.
I'm in Boston and here we've got Brazilians.......tons of them working the restaurants,dunkin donuts etc. I actually fell bad for a lot of them, they work like dogs for peanuts and most that I've met are pretty nice, but if they're here illegally .get the fuck out.
My parents came her from Greece in the 50's and they had to jump thru hoops and follow the letter of the law to get in. when they got here neither one of them spoke any English. My father ended up getting a masters degree in Engineering from Northeastern. You bet your ass they both learned English and learned it quick.
BTW I haven't been politically correct for about 3 years now I don't care if I offend any more, I have to call it as I see it.